The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-01

loMluB lCJIcI JOudg
PALACE OF WESTMINSTER,
LONDON, April 20, 1887. !
Some perplexity may arise iror
the fact that the Knights of Labo
were condemned and deprived of tn,
sacraments by the Archbishops an,
Bishops of Canada, but they hav
now been recognized and restored b.
the Holy See, owing to the position
taken by ten out OF twelve of tn,
Archbishops, and, with some excep
tions,. the Bishops of the United
States. The solution of this appa
rent diversity is already at hand. Ii
its first formation the Knights of La
Dor had made more or less marks o
secret society, and as such fell rea
sonably under the censure OF the
Bishops of Canada. Since that time
the president of the Knights of La
Dor has been changed. He is, a,
Cardinal Gibbons attests, faithful
Catholic, and the organization has
undergone a revision in all these
points which exposed it to censure
CARDINAL GIBBoNs's STATEMENT.
Cardinal Gibbons affrms
l. Thatin the constitution there is
nothing which is condemned by the
Holy See.
2. That there is no oath.
3. That there is no obligation to
secrecy toward competent ecclesias-
tical authority even outside of the
confessional.
4. That there is no promise of
blind obedience, and no obligation
beyond the distinctly declared OBJ
jects of the association; and, finally,
that there is no hostility either
against the church or against the
State.
To this must be added that very
large proportion of the knights Of
Labor are faithful practicing Catho-
lies, and it is upon these groun DIS
that the censure passed upon its old
and censurable form has been with
drawn.
The Cardinal OF Baltimore, in his
letter to Cardinal Simeoui, urges
with great force the wisdom and ne
cessity which bid the Catholic
Church not only to be a mother, but
a friend and guide to the millions
who live by the labor of their hands.
| Here follows extended quotations
from the letter
AS the whole text of this weighty
document has been already printed,
we need give no more than the fore
going outline of its arguments. We
will therefore 90 ON to justify the
principles upon which it is founded,
aud in doing so we will consider
what are the Knights of Labor, and
what are the rights of a lawful or
ganization.
THE RIGHTS OF LABOR.
In canon law slavery is defined as
a state sanctioned by the law of ma
tious, but contrary to the law of ma
ture. Much confusion has existed
upon this point. By the law of ma
ture no man can be sold and no man
can sell himself, and no man can buy
man nor hold property in man.
Slavery under the Jewish law con-
sisted in the sale and purchase of the
labor Of man, not the man himself,
and whatever law the nations Chris
tendon may have held and taught,
the Christian law has never sane
toned violation Of the natural law
In the English speaking people of
the world, that is, in the new world
which seems to be molding our future,
a workingman is a free man both in
person and in the labor of his. hand.
The mere muscular labor of his
arms is his own to sell as he wills, to
he wills, wherever and
for whatsoever he wills, and at what
,oever price he can. If his labor be
skilled labor or even half.skilled
abor, it is all the more valuable
ind absolutely his own possession.
In truth, it is the most precious
Torm OF capital which gold and silver
nay purchase, but on which gold |
md silver absolutely depend. Money
IS but dead capital after all, but the |
i've capital of human intelligence
md the human hand Is the primeval |
,apital of the world. Unless these
lights Of labor can be denied, liberty |
VI organization to protect these
lights and the freedom founded on
hem can not be denied. The asso. |
,iation OF labor in its various kinds
s traceable in the Greek, Roman
md Christian civilizations of the
world. The Hetaiera of the Greeks
md the Collegia OF the Romans were
rade associations. Cavalliere de
3ossi, in his work on inscription
n the Museum of St. John
Iateran, has pointed out
many examples Of these associa-
ions, and this traditional practice
PASSED into the Christian law, and
xists in Rome down to this day. In
he Church of Santa Maria Dell
)reo every chapel belongs to and is
maintained by some college or uni
ersity. OF the various trades it
nay be truly said that the labor and
Industries Of the Christian world
ave always organized themselves
or mutual improvement and de-
ense.
THE TRADE GUILDS.
The craft guilds and firth guilds
t the Scandinavian and Saxon races
owed the first seeds, not only of our
reat commercial prosperity, but
ven OF our municipal towns. The
raft guilds at first contained both
lasters and workmen. When the
lasters became capitalists thew
lrmed guilds of their own, and the
'Orkmeu, for mutual protection.
nited among themselves. The live
lpital and the dead capital stood
ice to face, often in antagonism. but
ways in the end reconciled either
y wise arbitration or by wise and
list laws. 1t is a notable fact
/ our English history that
lese guilds with which the
nperial laws of the continent